Railway car-end buffer



Dec. 2, 1947. I DATH 2,431,736

I RAILWAY CAR-END BUFFER Fil ed Nov. 15, '1944 Patented Dec. 2, 1947UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY CAR-END BUFFER George E. Dath,Mokena, Ill.,assignor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationNovember 15, 1944, Serial No. 563,493

buffers for railway cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a sim- I ple and efficientbuffer mechanism for railway cars having combined spring and frictionalresistance for absorbing the shocks to which the car is subjected,wherein the frictional resistance is substantially constant throughoutthe compression stroke of the mechanism.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a buffer housingsecured to the end of the car, a buffer head slidingly telescoped withinthe housing, spring means yieldingly opposing inward movement of thebuffer head with respect to the housing, and means for providingsubstantially uniform frictional resistance to inward movement of thebufllng head during the entire compression of the mechanism, wherein thefriction means comprises friction shoes movable with the buffer head andin sliding contact with the interior of the housing.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is alongitudinal, vertical sectional view of my improved buffer mechanismillustrating the same mounted in position on the end of a railway car.Figure 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, correspondingsubstantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sideelevational view of the buffer head employed in my improved mechanism,detached from the other parts of the same.

In said drawing, l indicates the end wall of a railway car, the portionillustrated being at one side of the longitudinal center line of the carand having my improved buffer mechanism mounted thereon. As will beunderstood by those skilled in this art, the buffer mechanism isduplicated at the other side of the car and the two mechanisms cooperatein a well-known manner with a pair of similar buffer mechanisms on theend of an adjacent car.

My improved buffe mechanism proper, as shown in the drawing, comprisesbroadly a housing A secured to the end of the car; a buffer head Bslidingly telescoped within the housing; a buffer spring C; frictionshoes D-D-D in sliding frictional engagement with the housing; a wedge Efor holding the shoes spread apart; a spring element F yieldinglypressing the shoes against the wedge E; and a retainer bolt G forholding the mechanism assembled,

The housing A is in the form of a substantially 2 tubular casting ofhexagonal, transverse cross section having a vertical, transverse endwall H closing the rear end thereof. The end wall II is laterallyextended outwardly beyond the housin thereby providing flanges l2l2 forsecuring the housing to the end wall of the car. The housing is mountedon the end wall of the car and is secured thereto by any well-knownsecuring elements, such as bolts I3I3 and l3-l3 extending throughopenings in the flanges l2-l2 and the end wall ID of the car. The wall Il of the housing A has an inwardly extending, central, hollow boss Mwhich serves to center the buffer spring 0 and also serves as ananchorage for the retainer bolt G. At the forward end, the housing A isopen and the walls thereof are inwardly thickened, as indicated at l5.The thickened wal1 portion l5 presents three V-shaped, interior frictionsurfaces i6-I 6|'6, which are parallel to the central longitudinal axisof the mechanism.

The buifer head B includes a tubular shell ll,

of hexagonal, transverse cross section, extending rearwardly from thebuffer head proper I 8, which is in the form of a front wall closing theforward end of the tubular shell l'l. The wall l8, which forms thebuffer head proper, is extended laterally outwardly beyond the shell i1and has a convex outer face which is usual in devices of this kind. Theshell I! is provided with three rectangular openings l9--l9l9 throughthe side walls thereof, which accommodate the friction shoes DD-D, ashereinafter pointed out. Rearwardly of the openings i9-l9l9, the shellhas three interior, inwardly projecting retaining lugs 20-20-20, whichare equally spaced circumferentially of the shell.

- The wedge E is in the form of a hollow block provided with arearwardly extending, central, hollow boss 2|. The rear end of the wedgeE thus presents an annular abutment shoulder 22, At

the forward end, the wedge E is provided with three wedge faces 23 ofV-shaped, transverse cross section, which converge forwardly andinwardly toward the central longitudinal axis of the mechanism. At theinner ends of the wedge faces 23, the wedge is provided with threeradially outwardly projecting retaining lugs 242424, which arerespectively engaged in front of the lugs 20-20-20 of the shell I! ofthe buffer head B, thereby holding the wedge against inward or rearwardmovement with respect to the buffer head.

The friction shoes D are three in number and are in the form of solidblocks. Each shoe is provided with a longitudinally extending frictionsurface 25 of V-shaped, transverse cross section on the outer sidethereof. The friction shoes D--DD are disposed within the tubular shellH of the buifer head B and project through the openings I9--|9l9 of saidsleeve and have the V-shaped friction surfaces thereof respectivelyengaging the V-shaped friction surfaces |6-l6 it of the h u A.- On the ine sid at the rear end thereof, each shoe has a wedge face '26 ofV-shaped, transverse cross section engaging the corresponding wedge face23 of the wedge E.

The spring F is in the form of a light helical coil, which is underinitial compression and is disposed within the shell Hand has itsfrontand rear ends bearing respectively on the end wall I8 of the sleeveand the front ends of the friction shoes DDD.

The buffer spring C is in the form of a heavy helical coil, which isdisposed within the housing A. The spring C bears" at its front end onthe u 2 -2.e 2e o the s e l H and on t in e end of the w d e E, t at sthe annu a abla h h sho der 22 ereof. he a end of the eries bee s n theert eelre r ell H of th hou in A, a d c nte ed hr the bees M of the husi g- The ai e elt Gene er h edge .E to the ous g A, h n t he d eee e iin the hellew boss o he edge d e nut t er of see-ted in the hollow bossIA of the housing A.

h a sem ling he mec nism, he s n th s s D D- -D, and the we sw t the beG a t hed h o a firs a emb ed h t shell ll of the heife heed B the be tbein at a h t9 the w d e E by entering h sh k o t e ewe heueh the esehherovide the on nd of the edge for this p o e h dg i hter ee ed, w t thbuf e h ed B y en a in t ess 4 th e f in front o the lu s 20 of thebuffer h ad. As will be evident, the shoes D-D-.D y be sprea apa t du thoperation of s e b ing; h et e w th the buf er head, inasmuch as theshoes are free to move laterally outwardly through the openings l.9-,--l 9-? [9 of the shell -I If After the parts have been thus a emb ed. aClamp i the fe a o a hand or e h s a l me ns, wh c urrei vhe th e is apped e re s he sh e inwardly so that the assembled unit may be telescopedwithin the housing A The sprin .Q is then placed with? in h h usi A andthe assembled unit compr i g he he 13 th ea i i he he D. D, h W d e dthe belt e te es neel i in th hellne The mechanism s then com r s ed ndt e out ehel e to he et ner bolt G.

Tit e epe et e o imp oved buf e mechamet-. i as follow: linen nwa dmovement of h he f r h d .13 h -eueh pressur e ert d thereon by ye'hieet such as th lend r head of an adjac t h i tion sh s ar forced n edly o th h us n A with the bufi'er head, thereby providing fri tion lresistance as the shoes slide inwardly on the friction surfaces I-,- i6-I. ,h he s in I" is under inial empreeeieh the frietiehel esistanceprovided remains substantially constant during the entire compressionstroke. inward movement of the buifer head is yieldingl resisted by thebuffer spring which reacts between the housing A and the lugs 29-13-20,of the shell I] of the buffer head B and also reacts between thehousing Aan'd the wedge E. Inward movement of the uffer head B islimited: by engagement of the head proper 18 thereof with the front endof the 4 housing A. When the actuating force is removed, the spring Creturns all of the parts to the normal full release position shown inFigure 1, outward movement of the wedge E being limited by the retainerbolt G and outward movement of the buffer head B, in turn, being limitedby engagement of the lugs 24 0f the wedge with the lugs 20 o he u e e dx-I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrativeand. I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within thescope of the claims appended hereto,

1 claim:

1. In a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing securedto the end of the car; of a buffer head slidingly telescoped within saidhousing; an expandible friction clutch carried by said buffer head andhaving sliding frictional engagement with the interior walls of thehousing, said clutch including friction shoes having direct shoulderedengagement at their outer ends with the buffer head to be moved inwardlythereby, and a spreading wedge member engaging said shoes; spring meansunder constant uniform compression reacting between the buffer head andshoes for pressing the same against the wedge member and holding saidclutch expanded; and spring means y-ieldingly opposing movement of thebuffer head and wedge inwardly of the housing.

in a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing secured tothe end of the car, saidhousing having interior friction surfacesextending lengthwise of the same; of a lender head slidingly telscopedwithin the housing, said buffer head having a stop shoulder thereon;friction shoes movable with the buffer head and having slidingengagement with the interior friction surfaces of the housing; aseparate wedge member shouldered on the forward side of the shoulder ofthe buffer head to hold said wedge member against inward movement withrespect to the buffer head, said wedge member having wedging engagementwith the shoes; a spring under initial compression reacting between saidbuffer head and shoes to press the latter against the wedge member; anda second spring bearing on the rear of said shoulder of-the buffer headyieldingly opposing movement of the buffer head and wedge memberinwardly of the housing.

3. In a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing securedto the end of the car, said housing having longitudinally extending,interior friction'surfaces; of a buffer head slidingly telescoped withinthe housing; friction shoes movable in unison with said buffer head andslidingly engaging the friction surfaces of the housing; retaining lugsat the inner .end of said head; a wedge block interposed betweensaidshoes and lugs .of the buffer head and seated against the forward sidesof said lugs, said wedge having wedging engagement with the shoes; aspring reacting between the buffer head and shoes for forcing the latteragainst the wedge; and a second spring yieldingly opposing movement ofthe buffer head inwardly of the housing.

4. In a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing havinglongitudinally extending, interior friction surfaces; of a buffer headmovable toward and away from said housing, said head includingarearwardly extending sleeve integral therewith and slidingly telescopedwithin the housing; a plurality of friction shoes carried by said sleeveand extending through the walls thereof and having sliding frictionalengagement with the friction surfaces of the housing; interior stop lugson said sleeve rearwardly of said shoes; 9. central wedge blockinterposed between said shoes and stop lugs and having shoulderedengagement with the lugs, said wedge block and shoes havinginterengaging wedge faces; spring means under predetermined initialcompression within said sleeve reacting between said buffer head andshoes for forcing the latter against said wedge; and a spring opposingmovement of the buffer head inwardly of the housing.

5. In a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing securedto the end of the car, said housing having lengthwise extending,interior friction surfaces; of a buffer head including a buffer plateand a tubular sleeve extending rearwardly from said plate, said sleevebeing slidingly telescoped within the housing; a plurality of laterallyinwardly projecting, interior, retaining lugs at the rear end portion ofsaid sleeve; a wedge block having a plurality of laterally outwardlyprojecting retaining lugs shouldered against the forward sides of saidfirst named retaining lugs; wedge faces at the forward end of said wedgeblock; a plurality of friction shoes within said sleeve, said shoeshaving wedge faces at their rear ends engaging the wedge faces of thewedge, said shoes projecting through the side Walls of said sleeve andhaving outer friction surfaces engaging the interior friction surfacesof the housing; a spring under initial compression within said sleeveinterposed between the buffer plate and said shoes and bearing atopposite ends on said plate and shoes; and a spring within said housingyieldingly opposing inward movement of the buffer head, the front end ofsaid last named Spring bearing on the retaining lugs of the sleeve andthe inner side of said wedge.

6. In a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing securedto the end of the car, said housing having an interior friction surface;of a buffer head slidingly telescoped within the housing; a wedge blockhaving shouldered engagement with the buffer head to hold said wedgeblock against movement rearwardly of the head; a friction shoe carriedby said buffer head in wedging engagement with the block and in slidingfrictional engagement with the interior friction surface of the housing;means reacting between the buffer head and shoe for yieldingly forcingthe shoe against said wedge block; means yieldingly opposing inwardmovement of the buffer head with respect to the housing; and a retainerbolt anchored to the housing and wedge for limiting outward movement ofthe wedge with respect to the housing.

7. In a buffer for railway cars, the combination with a housing securedto the end of the car, said housing having longitudinally extending,interior friction surfaces; of a buffer head slidingly telescoped withinthe housing; friction shoes movable in unison with said buffer head andslidingly engaging the friction surfaces of the housing; retaining lugsat the inner end of said head; a wedge block interposed between saidshoes and lugs of the buffer head and seated against the forward sidesof said lugs, said wedge having wedging engagement with the shoes; aspring reacting between the buffer head and shoes for forcing the latteragainst the wedge a second spring yieldingly opposing movement of thebuffer head inwardly of the housing; and a retainer bolt for holdingsaid buffer head assembled with the housing, said bolt being anchored atits inner end to the housing and at its outer end to the wedge.

GEORGE E. DATH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 990,293 Rimailho Apr. 25, 1911

